• Ultra-rare Rolex watch sold for record $3.5M

  This watch, introduced in 1942, is one of 12 such models made in the early 1940s. According to the auction house, the watch was originally intended for aviation pilots, but found its niche in the Italian automotive world...

• Vacheron Constantin unveils world’s most complex mechanical watch

  This one-off custom order, known as the Berkley Grand Complication, will be owned by billionaire insurance magnate and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of New York University W.R. Berkeley, an American. He also owns another unique model from Vacheron Constantin, the 57260, which features 57 complications...

• Rolex announces latest offerings at Watches & Wonders 2024 in Geneva

  Rolex has announced its latest offerings at Watches & Wonders 2024 in Geneva. A total of six models will be on display including the GMT-Master II, Day-Date, Perpetual 1908, Deepsea, Daytona, and Sky-Dweller in a variety of designs and sizes...

• Bulgari presents new watches, including Serpenti collection, in collaboration with architect Tadao Ando

  Bulgari has introduced new watch models. The lineup of four new models includes two stunning versions of the Octo Finissimo, the sleek and bold Octo Roma, and the eye-catching Serpenti collection, designed in collaboration with renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando...

• Jacob & Co watches The $3 million Billionaire III now available in emerald, ruby, rainbow

  The three new models are called Billionaire III Emeralds, Billionaire III Rubies, and Billionaire III Rainbow, which give a pretty clear idea of the watch's appearance...

• Patek Philippe's first automatic watch goes up for auction

  Patek Philippe's first self-winding wristwatch will be auctioned at Sotheby's in Hong Kong on Sunday. The first series Ref. The Patek 2526, a 36mm 18-karat gold watch with a white enamel dial, can go for between $384,000 and $770,000, thanks in part to its legendary provenance...

• Latest Navitimer watch celebrates Breitling's historic connection to aviation, space

  Continuing to celebrate its 140th anniversary, Breitling has introduced the Navitimer GMT and Automatic 41 watches, as well as a new limited edition self-winding Cosmonaute model....

• Longines increases HydroConquest GMT case size to 43mm

  These include a sunburst dial, date display at 3 o'clock, GMT hand, unidirectional rotating bezel with ceramic insert, and green markers. The new HydroConquest GMT 43 mm is equipped with the Longines caliber L844.5...

Rolex has discontinued the $51,400 white gold Daytona Le Mans (126529LN). These watches currently sell for $320,000 on the used market.

Rolex strongly associated the new Daytona Le Mans with Paul Newman's 1963 Daytona, which sold for $17.8 million in October 2017, making it the most expensive watch in the world at the time.

Paying homage to vintage watches is something Rolex has never done openly before—if ever. Robb Report compared the 2023 Le Mans to a limited edition watch that Rolex, of course, did not announce as such.

But with the insanely high prices we're seeing now, the 2023 LeMans is gaining popularity on the open market, as is every little-known limited edition that nods to the heritage of a legendary brand.

Since 2017, when Paul Newman's Daytona became the most expensive watch ever, this strange quasi-Art Deco dial has been universally known as the "Newman dial."

But the origins of the craze for these watches, as well as their nickname, apparently date back to the late 1980s and early 1990s. Some speculate that an Italian magazine cover featuring Paul Newman in a Daytona sparked the craze, although this cannot be confirmed.

Regardless of the exact origins, the Rolex Reference 6263 craze has gone from being a minor interest among enthusiasts to something of a watch mania since the 2017 auction. Considering the prices we're seeing for Newman's 2023 Daytona, it's clear the hype is still around.

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